Vehicle-wheel.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN S. LAYTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. l719,818, datedFebruary 3, 1903.

Application tiled September 25,1962. Serial No. 124,722. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. LAY TON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springeld, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle-wheels, and more particularly tometallic wheels of the suspension type, and has for its object toprovide a wheel of this class which shall be simple and strong inconstruction, readily trued and tensioned, and which may be readilyassembled or taken apart when necessary.

To this end my invention consists in eer-y tain novel features, which Iwill now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in theclaims. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevation, half in verticalsection, of a wheel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly inelevation and partly in section, along the line a; @c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an enlarged view ofthe hub Vportion of the wheel, half inlongitudinal central section; and Fig. Il is a sectional view takenalong the line y y of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out my invention I employ an annular metallic rim 1, intowhich the outer ends of the spokes 2 are threaded, the spokes beingconnected to the rim alternately on opposite sides of the central planethereof.

3 indicates the hub proper as a whole, constructed, as are the spokesand rim, of metal and constituting a combined hub and axle-- box in asingle piece, the hub being provided` to this end with a central bore 4cto receive the spindle of the axle. The body portion 3 of the hub isreduced at each end, as indicated at 5, thus forming near each end ofthe hub a radial face or shoulder 6, located some distance back of theend of the hub and provided with an annular groove or recess 7, thebottom of which is continuous with the surface of the adjacent reducedportion 5. The overhanging annular` portions 7 a thus formed are eachprovided with radial notches or semicircular recesses 8 to receive thespokes.

Upon the reduced ends 5 of the hub proper are iitted sleeves 9, havingat their inner ends radial faces 10, which abut against the radial faces6 of the shoulders of the hub and which are provided with notches orsemicircular recesses 1l, corresponding to and opposite the similarnotches or recesses 8 ef the hub-shoulders. The inner radial face ofeach sleeve 9 is provided with an annular groove or recess 12,corresponding in size and location to the similar groove or recess 7 ofthe adjacent portion of the hub proper, the two recesses meeting to forman inclosed channel at each side of the hub to receive the enlargedheads 13 of the spokes 2. It will be observed that these channels are ofconsiderably greater length radially than the thickness of the heads ofthe spokes, so that these latter when tightened up bear against theunder sides of the overhanging portions of the hub proper and itssleeves and are not in contact `with but lie considerably outward fromthe reduced extensions 5 of the hub. It will also be observed that thehub proper and the sleeves mounted on the ends thereof are formed attheir abutting portions into radial iianges, by means of which thesleeves may be secured to the hub by rivets or bolts 14, passing throughsaid flanges. The sleeves may, however, be otherwise secured to the hubproper.

The heads of the spokes are preferably noncircular or polygonal incross-section in a plane at right angles to the axis of the spoke, and Iprefer to make them square in crosssection. Where this construction isemployed, the annular channel or recess formed by the grooves 7 and 12is of a width less than the maximum diameter of the heads, so that whenthe parts are assembled the heads are prevented from turning in theannular recesses or channels, and the spokes are thus also preventedfrom turning, thereby maintaining t-he tension or adjustment of thewheel.

It will be seen that the parts of the wheel may be readily assembled byuniting the spokes to the rim and to the hub properibe- IOO heads at theinner ends of the spokes are fixed, in the sense that they are notlongitudinally movable relatively to the spokes-as, for instance, a n utwould be-and these heads are preferably positively fixed or integral forthe further reason that when they are noncircular in form, which is mypreferred construction, they serve to prevent any turning of the spokeswhen the sleeves are in position on the ends of the hub. It is furtherto be noticed that those portions of the spokes lying immediatelyadjacent to and outward from the heads are circular in cross-section orotherwise so formed that they may rotate in the notches or recesses 8 inthe overhanging annular portions '7a at the ends of the body of the hub.By reason of this construction the tensioning and truing operation maybe performed while the inner ends of the spokes are in engagement withthe hub. This tensioning and truing operation is performed before thesleeves are placed in position on the ends of the hubs, so that at thistime the spokes are free to rotate when, as in my preferredconstruction, the heads are noncircular and fixed. This possibility ofrotation arises from the fact that the outer Walls of the annularrecesses or channels being formed by the sleeves are absent andthe innerends of the spokes are free to move slightly outward (maintaining theirengagement with the hub, however) to permit this rotation. After thewheel is properly tensioned and trued the sleeves are slipped intoposition on the ends ot' the hub and secured thereon, and when the headsof the spokes are non-circular and fixed, as is preferred, and the partsare thus assembled, the annular recess being of less width than themaximum diameter of the spoke-heads, the spokes are then prevented fromturning. It will thus be seen that the spokes are free to turn,maintaining their engagement with the hub during the assembling andtruing up of the Wheel,

butin the preferred form of my invention are not free to turn after thesleeves are secured in position. lt will also be seen that since theannular recesses in the hub are of greater depth than the spoke-headsthe inner ends of the spoke-heads will not come into contact with thehub when the wheel is under a load, so that the entire weight of theload will be taken by those spokes which extend upward from the hub tothe rim and no portion of the load will be transmitted to the spokeswhich extend downward from the hub to the rim.-

hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as thesame may obviously be modified without departing from the principle ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A metallic vehicle-wheel comprising a rim, spokes having a threadedconnection at their outer ends with the rim and provided with heads orenlargements at their inner ends, relatively fixed, as described, and ahub comprising a body portion or hub proper having reduced ends, andsleeves fitting on said reduced ends, the abutting faces of the sleevesand of the central portion of the hub proper being provided withopposite annular grooves forming annular recesses of greater depth thanthe thickness of the spoke-heads, and with outwardly extending oppositenotches or recesses forming passages for the spoke-bodies, of lessdiameter than the heads, the spoke-bodies being rotatable in theoutwardly-extending notches or recesses of the hub proper and means forsecuring the sleeves in position on the hub proper, substantially asdescribed.

2. A metallic vehicle-wheel comprising a rim, spokes having a threadedconnection at their outer ends with the rim and provided with heads orenlargements at their inner ends, relatively fixed, as described, and ahub comprising a body portion or hub proper IOO having reduced ends, andsleeves fitting on said reduced ends, the abutting faces of the sleevesand of the central portion of the hub proper being provided withopposite annular grooves forming annular recesses of greater depth thanthe thickness of the spoke-heads, and with outwardly extending oppositenotches or recesses forming passages for the spoke-bodies, of lessdiameter than the heads, the spoke-bodies being rotatable in theoutwardly-extending notches or recesses of the hub proper, the innerends of said sleeves and the outer ends of the central portion of thehub proper being provided with outwardlyextending ianges, and fasteningdevices passing through said flanges to secure the sleeves in positionon the hub proper, substantially as described.

3. A metallic vehicle-wheel comprising a rim, spokes having a threadedconnection at their outer ends with the rim and provided at their innerends with fixed non-rotatable heads or enlargements non-circular incrosssection, and a hub comprising a body portion or hub proper havingreduced ends, and sleeves fitting on said reduced ends, the abuttingfaces of the sleeves and of the central portion of the hub proper beingprovided with opposite annular grooves forming annular recesses ofgreater depth than the thickness of the spoke-heads, and of less widththan their maximum diameters, and with outwardly-extending oppositenotches or recesses forming passages for the spoke-bodies,

IIO

said passages being of'less diameter than the heads, and thespoke-bodies being rotatable in the outwardly-extending notches orreeesses of the hub proper when the sleeves are not in place, and meansfor securing the sleeves in position on the hub propelgsnbstantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. LAYTON.

Witnesses F. M. HAGAN, IRVINE MILLER.

